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Dr. No (Special Edition)

Dr. No (Special Edition)

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: This one was a thriller back in 1962, but now...
Review: ... it seems a bit comical. The first James Bond outing takes us to Jamaica to investigate why U.S. rockets, launched from Cape Canaveral, are being thrown off-course. We start off with some beach play with seashell-seeking, bikini-clad Ursula Andress. Then they're both taken prisoner to Crab Island, left in a place where James can easily escape to foil the bad guy's plans (who's henchmen were walking around in dorky Buck Rogers type space suits) and rescue the girl. It's all the classic stuff.

Many of the trademark James Bond things started with this one - the intro music, his British manners, his way with the ladies, his always getting the job done just in the nick of time and his archnemesis Blofeld. The series would get better as the years went on, so this one was never the best (though maybe sentimentally for some), BUT it shows how it all started and is a must-have as part of the 21-movie Bond franchise.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The first of many classics to come
Review: Dr. No is the first movie in the James Bond series and still remains one of the best. From Sean Connery to the beautiful Jamaica, from Ursula Andress to the familiar James Bond theme song, this one has it all. After several rockets crash down well off their flight pattern and an M16 operative is murdered, James Bond is sent to Jamaica to investigate. Everything points to the mysterious character known as Dr. No. Bond, joined by CIA agent Felix Leiter, tries to figure out what is causing all these mysterious happenings. Along the way he deals with several would-be assasins, plenty of gorgeous women and all with his trademark dark humor and wit. This may be missing some of the elements of later Bond films, most noticably any gadgets, but this still remains a classic film for introducing the world to secret agent James Bond.

For me, Sean Connery will always be the perfect Bond. He does not disappoint here as the secret agent with the license to kill. While the other actors portraying Bond were always good, they were never able to match Connery's appeal or humor. Ursula Andress is stunning as Honey Ryder, the first Bond girl who everyone knows for stepping out of the water in her famous white bikini. She has always been my favorite Bond girl. Joseph Wiseman as Dr. No may not be as evil as some future villians, but he is still very good in the role. The film also stars Jack Lord as CIA agent Felix Leiter, John Kitzmiller as Quarrell, Bernard Lee as M, Lois Maxwell as Moneypenny, and Anthony Dawson as Professor Kent. The Special Edition DVD offers the widescreen presenation, commentary from cast and crew, several trailers, a still gallery, tv and radio spots, a featurette, and two very good documentaries about the making of the movie and director Terrence Young. This is a great Bond movie that is still one of the classics up there with Goldfinger. Don't miss Dr. No!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: one of two 'dirty ' bonds
Review: okay the villian himself is a little boring, but bond here is dirty and ruthless (shooting a disarmed would be assassin in cold blood). bond doesn't get this nasty again until license to kill.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Bond #1
Review: Dr. No is a great starter for one of the best series in the world! Sean Connery is perfect as 007 and Joseph Wiseman is a great first villan! We get a look at the pretty Honey Rider coming out the sea. The sets are okay considering the budget. You should see this one if you're a TRUE Bond fan.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Classic film, but to short.
Review: This film does, without a doubt earn the title of the original Bond film. The only drawback to it is that it is way to short!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The start of the real action movie starts here....
Review: Terrance Young started it all with his vision of Ian Fleming's novel Dr. No. Sean Connery was the perfect choice for the first Bond role with his delivery of the inuendos and the great acting in the action sequences. The Terrance Young formula is still in use to this day in the Bond series. He also paved the way for further advancement in action movie techniques that brought about the movies in theaters we see today. Many people today would compare today's Bond as "just another action movie" but we must remember that Dr. No started that whole genre that was well ahead of its time. This movie is a classic.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The Original Bond
Review: It was years ago when I first saw "Dr. No". Actually, it wasn't my first Bond film, my first was "Goldeneye", but at one point I decided I was gonna sit down and watch the older Bond's, including the original, "Dr. No". The first time I watched this, I thought, gee.... this is silly, but now I think that after 40 years, it's still one of the best Bond movies. Because this is the 1st, out of 20 offical Bond films, it doesn't quite have the formula down yet, but, it's still an excellent start to a fun series. Dr. No may not be perfect, but it did get a lot of thing's right. Including, the Bond girls. There are many featured in the film, but the main Bond girl (and one of the most famous), is Honey Rider, who may not be in much of the film, but still stands out as one of the most memorable (think ocean intro.). She has the Bond girl name, beauty, and charm, that all 007 fans, have grown to look forward to, in later films. The acting is pretty good, and so are the characters. Sean Connery, makes a great debut as Bond. I don't know if he is my favorite Bond, but I have to give him credit, for making the James Bond movies such a sucess. Things that are a little off with the film include, the opening and opening credits. Because the formula was not perfect yet, there is no opening scene. And the opening credits, along with the song, just aren't the same. Although, this doesn't make the film quite as much fun, it is still good. Also the music, is not as good as it is in later films, mostly because John Barry did not start making the music until "From Russia with Love". And finally, Q is not in this film, he is also introduced in "From Russia..."

Even witth those good and bad things being said, "Dr. No", is still one of the best Bond films ever. Even though it was made in the 60's, and doesn't have as good special effects because of it, doesn't make a difference. CG work, does not make a movie good. It's mix of action, fun, adventure, and of course, 007's charm, make this a true classic, that should start off everyone's 007 collection.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The first and for me the best.
Review: I count 23 bond movie to date and for me this is still number 1.
When this movie came out it was a monster of a movie. Everyone was talking about it. Sean connery is so cool and Ursula was Hot! 30 plus years later I still get goose bumps when they first show Sean Connery's face, and he introduces himself to Sylvia Trent, "Bond, James bond".

I was in Junior high and had already read many of the books. The movie was so good that it didn't bother me that the movie did not follow the book very well at all. This movie borrowed from several of the Ian Fleming novels combing elements of Dr No, Moonraker and Casino Royale, which ends when Bonds gun mis-fires, hence, M takes away Bonds "girly" gun for the Walther PPK at the beginning of Dr No.

The movie is also movie history, as it redefined the action movie and, like star wars, lead to a new genre of spy movies and TV shows, like SECRET AGENT.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The Start to Over 40 Years of Bond, James Bond
Review: Before it had taken off like a screaming bottle rocket and emerged into an unforgettable, irresistible action-adventure anomaly, the Bond series kicked off with 1962's Dr. No as a technically low-budget film, with a relative unknown at the helm of James Bond, in Sean Connery. Compared to the more recent Brosnan Bond flicks and even, Connery's successive flicks as 007, Dr. No captures the feel of Ian Fleming's Bond novels, as a straightforward detective movie with an emphasis on espionage and a megalomaniac twist of global implications involved.

In Connery's very first outing as the suave, resourceful British secret agent James Bond 007, Bond is sent out to Jamaica, to investigate the double murder of an MI6 agent, John Strangways and his secretary. Along the way, Bond dodges aside plots of his own murder, while crawling closer to the culprits and their motive for doing so. Eventually, Bond unravels that Strangways had discovered critical information about a remote, intimidating island called Crab Key and its dirty secrets and hence, he was taken out for his reconaissance. Bond follows Strangways' trail to Crab Key, accompanied by a rather superstitious and fearful Kingston fisherman and one of Strangways' closest friends, Quarrel. Tagging along with a shell diver and seller, the incredibly voluptuous blonde bombshell, Honey Rider (Ursula Andress), of whom Bond met on the shore of Crab Key, Bond encounters the enigmatic, vengeful and cold Chinese scientist and SPECTRE operative, Dr. No (Joseph Wiseman). Bond exposes Dr. No's diabolical scheme to destroy American rockets, launched from Cape Canaveral, and in effect, obliterate the U.S. space program.

Dr. No is a fairly suitable debut Bond flick. Unlike the majority of Bond films, Dr. No is not a rip-roaring high-octane action caper, but rather a very steady-paced, deliberate, no-frills, serious detective film, remaining true to the Ian Fleming format of storytelling. Another obvious difference is the lack of sophisticated, nifty gadgets. Bond's sole gadget, if you would want to call it that, is his signature Walther PPK handgun. Continuing with the business-like feel of the film, there are virtually no special effects. Ergo, compared to latter Bond films, Dr. No has a stripped-down feel, but it definitely has its moments, in particular, Ursula Andress' emergence from the sea in a skimpy, white bikini. Other than that, despite its carefully-crafted, dialogue-intensive story, Dr. No is somewhat stale in the sense that the characters lack a sense of alluring charisma or for that matter, personality. Connery lays the foundation of the Bond series well, with a solid outing, portraying the resourcefulness and consummate professionalism of Bond well. However, Connery is very serious to the extent he does not exude the charisma and the swagger he plays with in his later performances. Ursula Andress, as the very first lead Bond girl is alluring visual eye-candy all over her, but like Connery, she is rather mundane. Quarrel, played by John Kitzmiller is somewhat of the comic relief, exhibiting fear, especially with the talk about the Crab Key "dragon", with the priceless facial expressions to boot. A spry Jack Lord of Hawaiian Five-O and Mission Impossible fame reflects Connery's serious snickering gimmick as Felix Leiter, with lesser edge than the former. Joseph Wiseman is just fine and dandy as Dr. No, who is not revealed until much later on in the film, and for good reason, to preserve his enignmatic aura.

In terms of where it measures up amongst the ranks of Bond films, Dr. No is average and in the middle of the pack. Its successor, From Russia With Love is a vast improvement over Dr. No, in that it is faster-paced and charismatic, yet deliberate, containing well-utilized action sequences, while preserving the integrity and savvy of the literary, espionage-intensive Bond of the Ian Fleming books. In conclusion, Dr. No, despite its overtechnical tendencies, is worthy of being checked out.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Bond Babes predate gadgetry
Review: Should historians in a future millennium wonder what came first in the evolution of the 007 films, the gadgets or the Bond Babes, then DR. NO will provide the answer.

This first James Bond film has a young and raw Sean Connery in the title role as the British superagent tasked with thwarting the evil Dr. No (Joseph Wiseman), who plots to destroy an early, American, manned rocket launch - the Mercury program for you children - from his overbuilt hideout on a Caribbean island.

For the record, James carries no gadgets to make life easier. There is, however, Bond Babe Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress) fetchingly but barely contained in a bikini as she emerges from the surf. The various manifestations of the Commander will not see anything so stunning until Halle Berry jiggles onto the sand in DIE ANOTHER DAY (2002).

Wiseman as the villain inspires only yawns. A youthful Jack Lord from his pre-HAWAII FIVE-O days is unnecessary as the local CIA company man. All of Ursula is spectacular, but, since acting obviously wasn't a requirement, she doesn't have to do much more than wet down her scanty costumes as a warm-up for her 1965 "Playboy" pictorial.

Compared to any of the recent FX-laden Bond epics starring Pierce Brosnan, DR. NO is almost boring. But Sean Connery has been, and always will be, the pre-eminent 007. So, this film is more fairly compared to GOLDFINGER, perhaps the classic representative of the series, also starring the magnificent Scotsman. Thus, four stars instead of the three it deserves in a larger world view.


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